Easy Three Piece Patience Corner Quilt Block

This is a great block to get started on because it’s made up of three easy pieces with lots of straight lines and no triangles!

I’m so excited to get started on the first block in our series of six that will them be made into a sampler quilt wall hanging.

The Patience Corner quilt block is one of the easiest blocks to make because it is made up of only three pieces. There is a square that could be considered the background color and two rectangles, one smaller than the other. You cut out four of each size piece to have a total of 12 pieces.

These three pieces go together to create a small block, ¼ the size of the finished 12” block. You create four of them and once they are sewn together, your first block is complete. This is called a Four Patch design.

I have seen many different designs for the Patience Corner, and I’ve rarely seen more than three different fabrics used. (Except for MY quilt about 20 years ago!) As you can see, the placement of the fabrics creates quite a variety of looks for the Patience Corner.

Materials List:

4 – 4 ½” squares (includes ¼” seam allowance all the way around)

4 – 2 ½” x 6 ½” rectangles

4 – 2 ½” x 4 ½” rectangles

Cotton thread for sewing

Quilter’s Straight Pins (with large heads)

Sharp fabric scissors

Template Plastic

Scissors for plastic

Ruler to measure plastic

Pencil

Instructions:

1. Begin by cutting out the plastic templates for the three pieces. Remember, the templates include ¼” seam allowance all the way around the piece. For example, your finished, sewn square should measure 4” square.

2. Place the plastic template on the wrong side of your fabric, trace around it with a sharp pencil or white pencil on dark fabrics. Then, cut out your pieces.

3. Work with your fabrics to determine which block pieces will be in which colors. You may have to replace pieces with another color even after you have them all cut out. Save the ones you’ve cut and replaced. They may work in another quilt block.

For my Patience Corner I used my background fabric for the squares and my multi-colored inspiration fabric and a lightly patterned gold tone for my rectangles.

4. Once you are sure about your color choices, it’s time to start putting the four mini blocks together. It’s always best to sew the smallest pieces together first and then join them with the larger or longer ones. So start by pinning a square to a short rectangle and sewing them together. Remember to use a ¼” seam allowance. My presser foot has an indentation on it to signify the ¼” position, and it makes the sewing so much easier. I have found that marking it with painter’s blue tape can work nicely as well.

5. Next, add the long rectangle to the side edge. Make sure to follow your pattern so you are adding this piece to the correct edge. Continue in this fashion, putting together four 6 1/2” x 6 1/2” squares.

I find it’s always nice to have company while working on my projects, don’t you?

6. Next, connect the top two squares on the correct edge. Connect the bottom two squares, and then sew the strips together, completing your Patience Corner quilt block!

7. I have read that you should always press the seams to one side of the block because it makes the quilt top more sturdy. I have always ironed the seams towards the darker colored fabric so they don’t show through the light colored ones and so far I haven’t had any trouble, so you can decide. In any case, that’s your next step, iron the seam allowances flat!

If you are in a hurry to continue with the quilt project, the Ohio Star is our next design. Happy quilting!

Author Spotlight

Shari Hiller

Shari Hiller has been helping ordinary people do extraordinary things with decorating for over 20 years. She hosted the popular show "Room by Room" on HGTV for 14 years. Her current show, "Around the House with Matt and Shari" can be found on PBS.